A Dragon's Retribution [Book 3 in Rising Dragons]

Chapter 20: Azrael VII

Thirak remained quiet on my back, the shift in his balance told me everything though – he was frustrated, but he didn't hate the pair in front of us for their hesitation, for their refusal. Maybe he understood them, understood their reasons, but that didn't mean I had to.

I snarled, at both the dragon and their rider. You've already let them win simply by giving up!

Mark won a long time ago, the rider replied, not rising to my angry tone. Their dragon didn't bother to snarl back. I could threaten either of them and there would be no response. They didn't care – it was as simple as that. But Seeryath had called them fighters. Had called them strong. That had to mean something. It had to mean there was more to them than simply giving up. They were still here – that meant something.

If you've stopped attempting, stopped trying, no matter what happens or what the outcome is, you'll have lost, I said, tail lashing. Don't you see? You're here and alive, breathing and living! Maybe it seems like everything has failed but if there's a chance, isn't it worth trying to win anyway? Maybe you've missed your chance or made a mistake. Well, guess what? Mistakes are inevitable! We all make mistakes, you just have to keep going afterwards. If you fall over, you're eventually going to stand up again – it's not like you tripping is a mistake you won't overcome.

This was no mistake, this was a choice, Rako replied, but the shift in his dragon told me that something was working. They were actively listening. Listening. And that showed that there was hope here.

Can choices not be mistakes? I challenged back. You're both still here – alive. Alive! You being alive means that you haven't given up yet, and you both hiding? That's only further proof.

I–

Do it out of spite, if nothing else! I said, cutting Rako off. Curse them for trying to break the pair of you and show the world how they failed, how you are more than this. We're here because we didn't decide not to be. We decided to be here. Us. Our past, our choices, our mistakes, they don't make us – we make them. Yeah, maybe they shape and form us or whatever, but in the end? We are who we are because of what we've been through. Here you get to make a choice for yourselves – help us or don't, but know you made that choice out of your own free will rather than due to the emotions you currently feel.

Grimacing, I paused. Words were difficult because they didn't convey what I want, didn't flow – they were sticky and hard and got muddled in my throat for all that I wasn't actually speaking. I had tried, though, and no one could expect more from me. I met Rako's golden glittering gaze, and the narrow-eyed stare that Daruka held.

A moment passed, and then a second one did. And then-

Daruka lifted his head, shifted his body, stretched his wings; joints creaked and groaned, dust flew, and shadows danced on ice walls. But the black dragon gathered himself and stood. Rako no longer leant against him but held his position through sheer balance. Yawning, the black dragon nudged his rider who finally stood as well.

Well met, dragon-of-my-scales, Daruka said, meeting my gaze evenly. You have spoken, and so have we, he continued, and perhaps... spite is a grand motivator when all is said and done. Come by the fire, and speak what you will.

Tell us what has happened, Rako added, a half-grin, half-snarl on his face. I grinned back, baring teeth, and Daruka smiled.

***

"The message Fáelán and Aldrys is a bunch of words that honestly make no sense," Thirak said once our story had been told and our allies revealed.